A Connected Road Trip
I took an impromptu road trip to Salem MA yesterday to check out the Halloween happenings. We had a great time. I brought along my VirginMobil mifi, so my daughter could complete her homework on the 5 hr round trip drive. I brought my iPad along for the day.
We had a great time people watching with everyone in their Halloween best. We spent a good deal of the time walking around discussing the history of Salem, the witch trials, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. We had the handy dandy iPad with us so we could look up information. We checked out maps, read up on who lived where, and the history of the town and region.
It was my first trip with instant access and a great display. It really changed the nature of our little field trip. It made it personal and informative. I learned more than was in the handouts and displays set around town. As we were waiting to attend a performance at the House of Seven Gables my daughter read up on Hawthrone, Longfellow, Emerson and the literature of the time period. I was amazed my soon to be 17 year old child was not familiar with them. In thinking back to the reading she has done in school she has not read too many classic American novels, but mostly modern, international works. But that is a thought for another time.
As a family we travel to many historical places and I do not think I will travel with out the iPad again. I wonder how it would change field trips if groups of students also traveled with them. What kind of impact would it have on what they learn? How would it change how we plan for them?
A note on the devices:
I thought I could only get Verizon service reliably at my home. The Verizon mifi with a month to month plan is about $100 more then Virgin Mobile (VM), out of range for my current budget. The VM Mifi has worked great at home, in my car, at work and in Salem. My guess is Virgin Mobile is using the Verizon network in my area.
I did purchase a month of AT&T 3G access on the iPad. It came in handy at MassCUE. I have tired it at home but I still do not have AT&T access sitting on my living room couch. I will not renew the AT&T service on the iPad but will stick with the VM mifi. It works well with all the devices the family uses and is not limited to just one device. In fact 5 devices can be connected at one time.
2 thoughts on “A Connected Road Trip”
This is a great article about technology and the wonderful impact it has on learning. While reading any book or learning about any subject, a quick fact that is looked up on the internet can totally enrich the learning and make a deeper connection for the students.
The use of technology in the classroom is a great tool for any teacher. With the growing use of technology in work places, our students need to know how to use technology in a unique and productive way. The more they use and are exposed to computers and other forms of useful technology on a daily basis, the better prepared they will be to acquire a job. It has also gone way past just knowing how to type quickly. To get hired in today’s market, candidates need to know how to use PowerPoints, blogs, podcasts, and other forms of technology. Giving students exposure at a young age is key to mastering these skills later.